The Deputy First Minister told the people of East Kilbride they will be “in the driving seat of their own destiny” if they vote for an independent Scotland in six months time.

Locals looking for answers ahead of the independence referendum packed out the Village Centre on Monday afternoon for a townhall meeting hosted by Nicola Sturgeon.

The unique event gave East Kilbride folk the chance to find out more about the referendum and what lies in store for Scotland as the nation looks forward to a campaign that will shape our future.

The Deputy First Minister told local constituents the meeting was particularly timely as yesterday (March 18) marked the start of the six month countdown to the big vote on September 18.

Ms Sturgeon said opting for a yes vote would give the Scottish Government the green light to make decisions on every aspect of policy-making in Scotland.

“This is a choice between two futures”, she said.

“We will be in the driving seat of our own destiny.”

The Deputy First Minister highlighted Scottish Government success stories such as free personal care and free university tuition as proof that decision-making in Scotland works.

Quoting an article in the Financial Times claiming that an independedent Scotland would become the 14th richest country in the world, Ms Sturgeon said Scotland has enough human talent and resources to build a stronger economy.

Highlighting three key objectives in the Yes campaign, Ms Sturgeon said the Scottish Government would be: more democratic; build a more prosperous country and a fairer society.

Describing Scotland as the “region of an unbalanced economy”, Ms Sturgeon said the gap between the rich and poor is worsening with more and more people relying on food banks, and so many children living in poverty as a result of Westminster welfare cuts.

She vowed that an independent Scotland would invest in childcare policies to help young parents back into work.

Referring to the referendum vote, Ms Sturgeon said: “We will be in charge on that day and will find out if we have kept control or handed it straight back to Westminster.”

Speaking after the event the Deputy First Minister told the News: “The audience asked a wide array of questions and it was clear there is a lot of local interest in the referendum and Scotland’s Future.

“We’ve already put forward our proposals for Scotland’s Future and demonstrated how the powers of independence can be used to build a wealthier and fairer Scotland, but it’s crucial everyone who lives and works in Scotland considers and discusses with others the sort of country they want Scotland to be in the future.

“This is the opportunity of a generation and it was great to hear the views of the people of East Kilbride.”

Also in attendance was East Kilbride MSP Linda Fabiani who said: “Constituents welcomed the White Paper and clearly enjoyed having the opportunity to question the Deputy First Minister directly on Scotland’s potential as an independent country.”